Top-flat cleaner for carding-machin es



(No Model.)

o'. H. WHITTBN. TOP FLAT CLEANER EOR GARDING MACHINES.

Patented Jxly 16, 1889.

MZ'Q- UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. VHITTEN, OF LAVRENOE, ASSIGNOR TO THE PETTEEMACHINE VORKS,NEVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOP-FLAT CLEANER FOR CARDlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,312, dated July 16,1889.

Application tiled vSeptember 26, 1888. Serial No. 286,453. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WHITTEN, of Lawrence, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Top-Flat Cleaners forCarding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended for use in con- 1o nection with that class ofmachinery known as top-iiat carding-engines, now in extensive use inthis and other countries. In these engines the operation of carding isperformed between a large oarding-cylinder covered with clothing and aseries of what are called topflat cards, also clothed and connected inthe form of an endless chain, arranged by means of suitable mechanism topass slowly over the I clothed surface of the rapidly-revolving cardzoing-cylinder. The endless chain of iats is supported upon suitabledriving` and supporting rollers at the upper part of the machine. Eachfiat upon its inner side is provided with a central longitudinalstiffening frame or rib,

so that the series of flats making up the endless chain, when viewedupon its inner side, presents a series of troughs, each formed byone-half of two adjacent iat's and extending entirely across themachine. The joint or in- 3o terval between the adjacent flats requiredto permit the bend called for in passing over the carrying-rollers ofthe endless chain allows the loose cotton, dust, tbc., arising from theoperation of carding to pass into the interior of this endless chain. Itthere collects and gradually increases until itinterferes with theoperation of the machine and must be removed. Heretofore this has beendone by means of a piece'of liooked wire in the hands 4o of a workman,withgwhich he hooks or draws out of the machine as much of the collectedlint or dirt as may be. This operation not only involves the stoppage ofthe cardingengine for a considerable time,but is clumsy and inefficient;and the object of my invention is to devise a cleaner ,which shall beadapted to revolve within the series of topiiat frames, and to operateautomatically while the machine is running to pick up and take 5o awaythe lint and dust from the inside of the top-ii ats substantially asfast as it is deposited,

this brush or cleaner being made readily removable, so that when itbecomes loaded it may be taken out to be cleaned and put back into themachine Without material difficulty or loss of time and without stoppingthe machine.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented at Figure l such a brushor cleaner as arranged to operate within the series of topfiat frames invconnection with an adjacent 6o pair thereof, the View being in verticalsection at right angles to the length of the top-Hat. Inasmuch asmydevice operates to clean the top-flats successively, they passing bysuccessively, it is not necessary to represent more of the chain oftop-flats than the portion-viz., two top-fiats-aotually undergoing theoperation of cleaning at any given time. Fig. 2 is a vertical section atright angles to that of Fig. l, and shows additional devices old in 7othis class of machinery, but which may be advantageously combined in anovel manner with my cleaner, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained. Fig. 3 is an end View of the device, showing a portion of theframe of the carding-engine to which it is applied.

My improved brush or cleaner comprises a seriespreferably four, as shownin the drawings-of revoluble cleaning-rolls A. Each of these rolls has across-section of a size and 8o shape such as will permit it to enter thegroove or trough B, formed by the ribs and the abutting portions of twoadjacent top-flats. The rolls A should be of a length correspondingsubstantially with the length of the trough B to be cleaned. They arearranged circumferentially about and carried by a rod or shaft C. Theends of this shaft enter supportingbrackets C', which may be slotted, asshown, to allow the ready removal of the shaft and 9o its attachedbrushes for the purpose of cleaning. Each roller is journaled or pivotedat its en d in an extension D of the shaft, and is also in slottedconnection therewith, to allow the roller free movement outwardly orinwardly 95 toward or away from the central shaft. Upon this shaft alsomay be mounted the wheelbrush E, which has heretofore been used to keepclean the grindingfaces F F of the topiiats upon which the flats aresupported when roo the operation of grinding or renewing the surface ofthe olothingis performed. Additional Wheel-brushes G G may likewise bemounted upon the shaft C to keep clean the faces of the sprockets H H,by means of which,in conjunction with appropriate sprocket-Wheels, theendless chain of Hats is caused to movein the manner hereinbeforedescribed over the face of the `carding-cylinder.

Then my improved top-fiat brushing device is in its place in the machinewithin the series of top-flat frames, it will be observed that as thechain of flats passes along under the series of brushes A one of themdrops into the trough l, and in so doingwipes or cleans that side of therib past which the brush enters the trough. The continued motionsidewise of the flats cleans the bottom of the trough by carrying itsidewise past the brush, and, finally, the brush passes upwardly out ofthe troughand along the side of the next rib, thereby cleaning that,which forms the remaining portion of the trough. At the same time thebrush,

being free to rotate on its own axis, is contin- V ually presenting afresh surface to perform the cleaning operation, and, furthermore, asone brush is about to leave the trough having been cleaned by it anotherbrush is entering the next trough to clean it, the motion of the brushestoward and away from the central shaft, as before mentioned, allowingthem to pass easily into and out of the successive troughs.

I prefer to construct the shaft C and slotted extensions D of metal. Thebrushes may conveniently be made with cylindrical wooden cores coveredwith a rough-flbered material, such as a coarse felt or clearer cloth.

The cleaners A may be themselves readily cleansed, when this becomesnecessary, by removing from the machine the shaft to which they areconnected and brushing or otherwise takingfrom them the accumulateddust, fiber, &c.

I have heretofore shown and described the shaft C as a single continuousshaft extending from side to side of the carding-engine. This is theconstruction which I have found preferable in practice. It might,however, be possible to make the shaft in two short parts C, onesuitably j ournaled at each side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 4, Ifso constructed, the shafts or cores of the cleaners or brushes A wouldthemselves serve to connect the two parts of the shaft, and thecontrivance would become in this Way substantially equivalent to thesingle continuous shaft,which I prefer.

I claiml. The improved top-fiat cleaner herein described, the sameconsisting of a central shaft adaptedto revolve in but removable fromsupports at opposite sides of a carding-engine and Within the series oftop-flat frames, this shaft being provided with enlargements orextensions having a series of brushes or cleaners A in Y slottedrevoluble connection therewith, the brushes being arrangedcircumferentially around the shaft and having a cross-section sufficientto permit them to enter and clean `the troughB, formed by parts ofadjacent flats, all substantially as set forth.

2. The improved cleaning device for carding-machines herein shown,consisting of the central shaft C, exten sion-pieces D, connected tosaid shaft, top flat cleaners A, revolubly mounted in radial slots invsaid `extensionpieces, and the circular brushes E G, mounted upon theshaft C, the whole form-ing a single device adapted to clean thetop-flats and their gri nding-faces and sprockets simultaneously andduring the operation o'f the carding-ma chine.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of.Iuly,A. I). 1888.

CHARLES II. lVHI'lTEN.

Witnesses:

G. T. FRANCIS, GEORGE O. G. CoALE.

